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The '''Great Hall of Thráin''' was a vast rocky chamber beneath the deepest part of the [[Lonely Mountain]] of [[Erebor]], named for the founder of the Kingdom, [[Thráin I]]. It held the [[Arkenstone]], which Thráin himself had found beneath the Mountain, and the stone spilled light into the Hall (at least, if the songs of the [[Dwarves]] are to be believed).  
__NOTOC__
{{disambig-more|Great Hall|[[Great Hall (disambiguation)]]}}
{{location infobox
| name=Great Hall of Thráin
| image=[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - Conversation with Smaug (large).jpg|250px]]
| caption="Conversation with Smaug" by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| location=The mountain-root of [[Lonely Mountain]]
| type=Hall
| description=
| regions=
| towns=
| inhabitants=[[Dwarves]], [[Smaug]]
| created=c. {{TA|1999}}
| destroyed=
| events=[[Sack of Erebor]]
}}
The '''Great Hall of Thráin''' was the vast bottommost cellar of [[Lonely Mountain|Erebor]] that served as the lair of [[Smaug]] the [[Dragons|Dragon]].<ref name="Inside">{{H|Inside}}</ref>


After a time, the Kings of [[House of Durin|Durin's line]] abandoned Erebor, and for a time the Great Hall was without the light of the Arkenstone. After nearly four centuries, Thráin's descendant [[Thrór]] returned there, and replaced the brilliant stone in the Hall. For nearly two hundred years more the Dwarves dwelt undisturbed beneath Erebor, until the coming of the dragon [[Smaug]]. Thrór and his family were able to escape through a secret passage that led from the Great Hall, but Smaug plundered their treasures and gathered them together, lying on a bed of gold in the Great Hall of the Kings under the Mountain.  
==Description==
The Great Hall was located at the mountain's root and was the lowest chamber in the Lonely Mountain.<ref name="Inside"/>  When [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] and the [[Thorin and Company|Dwarves]] ascended to the [[Front Gate]] from the Great Hall they had to climb "long stairs, and turned and went down wide echoing ways, and turned again and climbed yet more stairs, and yet more stairs again", which wore out the legs of the hobbit and gives some idea of how deep the Great Hall was.<ref name="Home">{{H|Home}}</ref>


Many years later, [[Bilbo Baggins]] crept back down the same passage to find Smaug sleeping on his golden hoard. Bilbo failed to recognise the chamber as a Hall of Kings: he described it as no more than 'the great bottommost cellar or dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves'. Through a series of extraordinary events, Smaug was eventually defeated and the line of the Kings under the Mountain was restored. [[Dáin Ironfoot|Dáin II Ironfoot]] took up the Kingship of Erebor, but he did not return the Arkenstone to its place in the Great Hall. Instead, it was buried on the breast of his cousin [[Thorin Oakenshield]], who had died in the battle to regain the Kingdom.
Its exact size is unknown,<ref group="note">In ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] estimated that the hall was at least 180 feet long, based on a guess that [[Smaug]] was 60 feet in length.</ref> but when Bilbo explored the space the Dwarves saw his light dwindle, disappear, and reappear as he climbed the mounds of treasure.<ref name="Home">{{H|Home}}</ref>  There was at least one stairway leading upward that was wide enough for Smaug to reach the Hall and coming down from the west was the tunnel from the secret [[Back Door]], which was too small for the dragon to enter.<ref name="Inside"/>


The original function of the Great Hall of Thráin may have been as the throne-room of [[Thráin I]], but later it became a dungeon/treasury,<ref name="Inside"/> possibly when the [[Great Chamber of Thrór]] was excavated.  Untouched by the dragon were magical golden harps as well as chainmail and weapons that hung from the walls.<ref name="Home"/>  However, when first seen by Bilbo, the main feature of the hall was the hoard of treasure that Smaug had accumulated.<ref name="Inside"/>
==History==
In {{TA|1999}} [[Thráin I]] came to Erebor and established the [[Kingdom under the Mountain]].<ref name="TA">{{App|TA}}</ref>  Either then or soon thereafter  the [[Arkenstone]] was discovered under the roots of the Mountain<ref name="Inside"/> and was kept in the newly made Great Hall (which was named after the kingdom's founder).  The gemstone was removed when [[Thorin I]] departed for the [[Grey Mountains]] in {{TA|2210|n}}, but was brought back in {{TA|2590}} when Thrór returned to Erebor, and the Arkenstone was again stored in the Great Hall.<ref name="TA"/>
In {{TA|2770|n}} Smaug descended upon the Mountain,<ref name="TA"/> killing or routing all of the Dwarves.  He took the Great Hall as his abode and piled all of his plunder in it for his bed.<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref>
In {{TA|2941|n}}<ref name="TA"/> Bilbo Baggins was the first person to visit the Great Hall of Thráin after the invasion of Smaug.  On his first visit the dragon was asleep and the hobbit made off with a golden cup.  On his second visit he conversed with Smaug and discovered the Worm's weak spot.<ref name="Inside"/>  On his third visit, with the Dwarves, the company explored the Hall and escaped from the Mountain.<ref name="Home"/>  After the host of Elves and Men from [[Lake-town|Esgaroth]] arrived the Dwarves passed their time in the Great Hall piling and ordering the treasure, while Thorin searched for the Arkenstone.<ref>{{H|Thief}}</ref>
After the [[Battle of Five Armies]] the Arkenstone was not kept in the Great Hall; instead it was placed on Thorin's tomb, alongside Orcrist; where it is said that the sword gleamed in the dark at the approach of foes, preventing the Dwarf-realm from ever being taken unawares.<ref>{{H|Return}}</ref>
{{references|note}}
{{companyroute}}
[[Category:Buildings]]
[[Category:Buildings]]
[[Category:Rhovanion]]
[[Category:Rhovanion]]
[[fi:Thráinin Suuri Sali]]
[[fi:Thráinin Suuri Sali]]

Latest revision as of 09:47, 21 April 2023

The name Great Hall refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Great Hall (disambiguation).
Great Hall of Thráin
Hall
J.R.R. Tolkien - Conversation with Smaug (large).jpg
"Conversation with Smaug" by J.R.R. Tolkien
General Information
LocationThe mountain-root of Lonely Mountain
TypeHall
People and History
InhabitantsDwarves, Smaug
Createdc. T.A. 1999
EventsSack of Erebor

The Great Hall of Thráin was the vast bottommost cellar of Erebor that served as the lair of Smaug the Dragon.[1]

Description[edit | edit source]

The Great Hall was located at the mountain's root and was the lowest chamber in the Lonely Mountain.[1] When Bilbo and the Dwarves ascended to the Front Gate from the Great Hall they had to climb "long stairs, and turned and went down wide echoing ways, and turned again and climbed yet more stairs, and yet more stairs again", which wore out the legs of the hobbit and gives some idea of how deep the Great Hall was.[2]

Its exact size is unknown,[note 1] but when Bilbo explored the space the Dwarves saw his light dwindle, disappear, and reappear as he climbed the mounds of treasure.[2] There was at least one stairway leading upward that was wide enough for Smaug to reach the Hall and coming down from the west was the tunnel from the secret Back Door, which was too small for the dragon to enter.[1]

The original function of the Great Hall of Thráin may have been as the throne-room of Thráin I, but later it became a dungeon/treasury,[1] possibly when the Great Chamber of Thrór was excavated. Untouched by the dragon were magical golden harps as well as chainmail and weapons that hung from the walls.[2] However, when first seen by Bilbo, the main feature of the hall was the hoard of treasure that Smaug had accumulated.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

In T.A. 1999 Thráin I came to Erebor and established the Kingdom under the Mountain.[3] Either then or soon thereafter the Arkenstone was discovered under the roots of the Mountain[1] and was kept in the newly made Great Hall (which was named after the kingdom's founder). The gemstone was removed when Thorin I departed for the Grey Mountains in 2210, but was brought back in T.A. 2590 when Thrór returned to Erebor, and the Arkenstone was again stored in the Great Hall.[3]

In 2770 Smaug descended upon the Mountain,[3] killing or routing all of the Dwarves. He took the Great Hall as his abode and piled all of his plunder in it for his bed.[4]

In 2941[3] Bilbo Baggins was the first person to visit the Great Hall of Thráin after the invasion of Smaug. On his first visit the dragon was asleep and the hobbit made off with a golden cup. On his second visit he conversed with Smaug and discovered the Worm's weak spot.[1] On his third visit, with the Dwarves, the company explored the Hall and escaped from the Mountain.[2] After the host of Elves and Men from Esgaroth arrived the Dwarves passed their time in the Great Hall piling and ordering the treasure, while Thorin searched for the Arkenstone.[5]

After the Battle of Five Armies the Arkenstone was not kept in the Great Hall; instead it was placed on Thorin's tomb, alongside Orcrist; where it is said that the sword gleamed in the dark at the approach of foes, preventing the Dwarf-realm from ever being taken unawares.[6]

Notes

  1. In The Atlas of Middle-earth, Karen Wynn Fonstad estimated that the hall was at least 180 feet long, based on a guess that Smaug was 60 feet in length.

References

Route of Thorin and Company
Bag End · Green Dragon · The Shire · Lone-lands · Last Bridge · Trollshaws · Trolls' cave · Rivendell · High Pass · Front Porch · Goblin-town · Goblin-gate · Eagle's Eyrie · Carrock · Beorn's Hall · Wilderland · Forest Gate · Elf-path · Mirkwood · Elvenking's Halls · Forest River · Lake-town · Long Lake · River Running · Desolation of the Dragon · Ravenhill · Back Door · Lonely Mountain · Great Hall of Thráin